The Lasses of the Fellowship
by Angel Baggins
Summary: Four hobbit lasses are in the Fellowship along with the original nine. Read inside to find out more. Work in progress. A little bit of romance. I do not own any work or creation by Tolkien. Still in progress.
1. The Hobbits in the Hall

A/N: Hi! I'm Angel Baggins (yeah, I'm named after a hobbit in this fanfic), and this is the first story I'm posting, so I'm kind of scared because I don't know if I had it quite right yet. That's why I didn't post a whole lot. But basically this fic is answering the question to: What if there were four hobbit lasses that went on the Quest with the hobbit lads and all the others? I'm trying hard to make this original, and I've incorporated stuff from the books and movies to try to please everyone. But please post _helpful_ reviews (yeah it's horrible I'm a little sensitive and I might cry:( . No heehee it's o.k., but really try to help me not hurt me if there's something you don't like about the story. This first little chapter is just introducing the adult hobbits right now and providing a little backstory, so enjoy. I'll see you later!

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It was a bright, sunny, cool day in the Shire. Of course, most days in the Shire are like that—but it always seemed a little more beautiful on September the 22nd. For today was Bilbo Baggins's birthday—ninety-ninth birthday, to be exact. In the Main Hall of Brandy Hall, ten gentlehobbits were sitting and consequently discussing Bilbo Baggins himself. It was rather early for hobbits to be up that morning, but they had a ride from Buckland to Hobbiton. The hobbits were waiting for their children to finish getting ready—and then all would be ready to go.

Since it might be helpful to introduce each hobbit and describe him or her, since people do tend to want to know how everyone looks and what their history is, I shall do it now. The first hobbit, sitting solitarily alone in a chair, smiling and chuckling quietly at his friends, was Ponto Baggins. He was raven haired and dark eyed, with a pale complexion. Though a Baggins from Hobbiton, he had resided at Brandy Hall part of the time since he was married to Amadel Brandybuck. After Amadel had drowned because of the horrible boating accident with Drogo and Primula Baggins, Ponto had finally sold his hobbit hole on Bagshot Row and had settled down in Brandy Hall with his young daughter, Angelica, for good. He had also felt a need to look after the young Frodo Baggins—Angel's first cousin once removed on her mother Amadel's side, since Primula was Amadel's cousin, and a distant cousin on Ponto's side, he and Drogo being second cousins twice removed or something along those lines (I do not profess to be gifted in hobbit genealogical lore). Therefore, Ponto had always been a decent, respectable Baggins from Hobbiton—or at least he was most of the time. The exceptions were when he and his close friend Drogo had taken Primula and Amadel Brandybuck, the famous cousins of Buckland, as wives, and when his poor wife and their family had died in the accident. But as Ponto stirred up no more trouble—indirectly or directly—he had come to be the pitied, quiet gentlehobbit of Brandy Hall—portly and kind.

The hobbit sitting nearest him was older than the others. Rorimac "Old Rory" Brandybuck—Primula Baggins's older brother by more than twenty years—had formerly been the Master of Brandy Hall. When his wife, Menegilda, had died younger than expected, he had passed the title down to his eldest son—Saradoc "Scattergold" Brandybuck. Saradoc had taken a wife, Esmeralada Took, and now had a son named Meriadoc (that was usually not remembered; since Meriadoc was almost named after his uncle Merimac, he was usually just called Merry to keep things straight). Saradoc and Esmeralda sat next to Old Rory now. Saradoc and Esmeralda looked quite cheerful that morning—his sandy hair shining and her dark golden hair, a bit tinted by "strawberry" as The Gaffer would say, shining brighter.

Sitting at the head of everyone was the Thain Paladin the Second and his wife, Eglantine. Eglantine was chatting gaily with Esmeralda, and Paladin with Saradoc. Paladin had taken Eglantine Banks for his wife, and together they had had three daughers—Pearl, Pimpernel, and Pervinca—and a son, Peregrin (called Pippin when people weren't exasperated with him, as usually happened).

Sitting beside them were the North-Tooks, who resided in the Northfarthing, near the rocky cliffs over the small valley in Hobbiton. Brandogrim and Madata had arrived late that night, and consequently looked a bit groggy, but still put on smiles of pleasure for their friends. Their young daughter Diamond of Long Cleeve had awoken early that morning and had woken them up too.

And last to be named is Odovacar Bolger, married to Rosamunda Took and father to Fredegar (the nickname Fatty suited him better) and Estella.

Their conversation I shall relate in this next chapter—for now, I will let you ponder what kind of comments they could make about the famous, odd Bilbo Baggins.


	2. The Talk in the Hall

A/N: I'll just state right now: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to Tolkien, and will continue to belong to Tolkien forever and ever and ever amen. There we go! Disclaimer over with! Okay, I just decided to post the little conversation tonight…and I might add a few more chapters tonight also! I have a real urge to write tonight.

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"So I assume Bilbo is as rich and peculiar as ever?" Brandogrim queried. The North-Tooks rarely ever got to visit Hobbiton compared to the villages and Farthings of the Shire, and were a bit "out of the loop" when it came to news such as this.

"Considering how festive of parties he puts on every year, it appears that he is getting richer by the minute," Eglantine laughed. "And I suppose he _is _just as peculiar as he was when he returned from his…ah… 'adventures', as he calls them."

"Been the wonder of the Shire for forty-eight years now, I reckon," Paladin estimated jovially. "And he just gets famouser everyday…more and more famous! And Ponto…tell them how unchanged he is!"

The North-Tooks leaned forward, quite enthused. Ponto took a deep breath. "Well…five years ago, he looked almost the same as he did at fifty, and today he looks the same as he did five years ago, I guess the best way to describe it is."

"Well-preserved," Saradoc snorted. "I suppose some folk get all the luck…too bad it's always the peculiar kind."

"_Unchanged_," Paladin spoke up. "Unchanged nearer the mark." They all chuckled. Rosamunda shook her head. "Too much of a good thing, it is," she said thoughtfully.

"There's something behind it, my dear!" Old Rory spoke up quite suddenly. "Always something behind it! I don't know what…but it will come out someday, I suppose. Trouble will come of it."

"I hear," Odovacar said, "that he has elves and dwarves, not to mention the wizard Gandalf at his house regularly." They all turned to Ponto, looking at him eagerly.

"I suppose it's true," Ponto said. "But I don't think _regularly _is quite right. I should hope that all those folk would have better things to do with their time than go floating and stomping around Bag End and Hobbiton. Where did you hear that?"

"Fatty," Odovacar said. "The last time we went to Hobbiton, Samwise Gamgee started telling him something along those lines." All the adults chuckled again.

"But really, Ponto," Esmeralda started, "do you think it wise to have Angel and Frodo running around Bag End? I know they are friends with Rosie Cotton and Samwise Gamgee, but truly, don't you think trouble will come of it?"

"I've known Bilbo since I was a youngster," Ponto said. "Though I don't think him quite right, he's taking a bit of a liking to them that I don't usually see. I've heard him say they have 'spark'. I doubt it will amount to much. Angel loves him as her uncle, though they bicker often, and I don't know if Frodo adores anyone more than he adores Bilbo. I find that their favorite thing to do is sit at his feet with Sam and Rosie, and listen to him tell stories. He loves to do it too. And quite honestly, I see him taking much more of an interest in every child of all of you, not just mine. Though he is closer to Angel and Frodo."

"Where are all those children of ours?" Eglantine asked, laughing. "They've been up there for fifteen minutes!"

"The lads should be down soon," Madata said, frowning. "I can't see what's keeping them."

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A/N: I know, I know, not a lot of description…but I'll have plenty soon to come.


	3. The Lads in the Hall

From the Author: Hey! I'm really into writing right now, so I got home from school and attacked the keyboard. Well, I guess I should just say: These next few chapters are about how Frodo and another hobbit that you haven't really met yet will get adopted by Bilbo Baggins. This chapter is just introducing Frodo (twenty-one years old that day), Fatty (a.k.a Fredegar Bolger, who is two years older than Merry), Merry, and then Pippin. There are more hobbit lads, but those are the ones at Brandy Hall right now. And I just wanted to add that all the hobbits will probably be a lot closer in age than they were in the books. I wanted to do this because Frodo is going to leave Bag End at age thirty-four (which they sort of did in the movies, because it didn't look like a lot of time had passed.) I didn't want him traveling when Pippin was eight or something like that. So yeah, just clearing that up. Well, enjoy!

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Frodo stuffed the last of the birthday presents that he had bought for his relatives and friends. He was twenty-one today, two years into his tweens. He had had to save up all year again for the presents, and of course he had used his Mushroom Stealing skills to snatch some from Farmer Maggot's crop, as usual. This time Merry and Pippin had accompanied him that morning. Merry and Pippin were slowly becoming the Terrors of the Shire, taking over for Frodo. Frodo had a feeling that soon his antics would not be tolerated if he continued living in Brandy Hall. He was an orphan—he'd heard himself called a "warren" by quite a few hobbits lately. He wished, yet again, that one of his relatives would hurry up and adopt him. He had thought that his Uncle Saradoc would, since Merry was his only son, but apparently Saradoc did not want to risk a Baggins becoming Master of Buckland, and quite frankly Frodo was not interested in becoming Master for a bunch of his dimwitted relatives. Maybe it was just he, but lately his relatives were getting on his nerves more and more. Not his close friends, of course, but lately he'd had a bit more trouble masking his exasperation from some of his aunts, uncles, and distant cousins. There were so many he could barely keep up with him anymore. "It's because you're a tweenage lad, Frodo," Angel had told him as he had spilled out his woes to her one evening. "I find everyone quite bothersome, too. I think one reason is because we Baggins have been cooped up in Buckland too long. I miss Hobbiton." Yes, maybe it was because he was a tween. Thankfully, though everyone shuddered sometimes at Frodo's troublesome tasks, he was always described as a "kind, caring lad". Not like Merry and Pippin. They just brought shivers, shudders, and sighs. Though Merry and Pippin didn't have bad hearts and minds, really. They were just little children.

"Frodo! _Please _give me my present now!" Pippin begged, falling at Frodo's feet and wrapping his arms around Frodo's leg. "Or just a few more mushrooms! I'm hungry!"

Merry wrapped his arms around Frodo's other leg. "Yes, Frodo, you are torturing us! I want my present! I can't possibly wait until tonight! I'll _die _from…from…"

"Anticipation?" Frodo asked, grinning down at the two small lads. "I don't see Fatty over there dying, and he has to wait just as long as you."

"I'm just hungry," Fatty said simply, giving a high laugh at Merry and Pippin. "Is my present food?"

"Maybe," Frodo said, dragging Merry and Pippin across the room. "Maybe not. Now, we need to go downstairs. I suppose I shall just have to drag you two down the stairs. I suppose it won't be pleasant. At first it shall be easy. But then your knees will start to ache from the constant bumping. We have three flights to go down, you know. And then you will ache all over. And then you will be black and blue, and you will be so weak I can easily just pick you up and toss you down the stairs, and your mothers will say you are too hurt to go to the party. And your mothers won't believe you when you say it was me, because…." Frodo gave up and started hopping up and down. He simply couldn't be that mean to them. "I won't give you your presents," he said, hopping, if you don't let go!" He lost his footing when he came down and landed on them. Fatty burst out laughing as they scampered away.

"You can't catch us Frodo!" Merry yelled as he and Pippin ran out the door. Frodo shook his head, sighed, and laughed to himself. It was hard being the eldest to his second and third cousins. "Fatty, would you like to help me catch them?" he asked. Usually Fatty would have run out the door with Merry, but this time Fatty just sat looking at him.

Fatty stood up and put his small hand in Frodo's longer one. "No. Today's your birthday. I decided to be on your side for once."

Frodo looked down at Fatty. "Thank you, Fatty," Frodo said softly, leading him out of the room. "Merry and Pippin may be able to help me get out of trouble—but you help with your thoughtfulness. You're not a bad hobbit, Fatty. Mischievous—but not bad."


	4. The Lasses in the Hall

**I'm baaaaaccckkkk!!! Okay, well, first off:**

**To Padme4000: Thank you very, very much for reviewing. Your review is my first review ever:) Don't you feel special??? Really, thanks. The four female hobbits that will be going are: Angelica Baggins (Angel), Rosie Cotton (I bet you can't guess who _her_ romance is going to be with:), Estella Bolger, and Diamond of Long Cleeve. I can't give too much away since you can just go to the books and see who gets paired with whom, and I have to write everything in between. Basically the romance stuff is pretty simple…I'll probably focus on the friendships of them all more, but if everyone likes a little romance, I might just add some more. I'll give every hobbit a little bit of romance time, just to be fair. **

And to everyone else who is reading this: This next chapter is simply introducing the lasses (since last chapter I introduced the lads) who are going to the party. It will feature…Angelica Baggins (Ponto's daughter, if anyone forgot), Pearl Took, Pimpernel Took, Estella Bolger, Diamond North-Took, and Pervinca Took. Review if it's possible. I found out I like reviews.

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Angel's small room was rather crowded as the six young lasses tried to pull on petticoats and dresses, and put on necklaces, and brush their hair, all at the same time. They had worked out a method: Pearl and Angel help button each other's dress and brush their hair, Pimpernel and Pervinca help each other, and Diamond and Estella help each other. Crammed in their little groups of two, they got on quite well.

"I do love to brush your hair, Angel," Pearl said, running the brush through Angel's thick, raven black curls. "It's a different kind of curly than most of us hobbits have. It's as soft as a lad's, and in long, little springs that are easy to bounce. Not like everyone else, who just have little, wiry corkscrews. Only you and Rosie Cotton have the same kind of hair—except hers is golden."

"I do wish I could have golden hair," Angel said, surveying her image in the mirror, which she did many times a day. "It's so rare in the Shire. I'm so pale, sometimes I almost think the dark hair makes me look a bit frightening. But Pearl, you and all your family has such beautiful auburn colored hair."

"But it's so _common_," Pimpernel spoke up. "Mother has it, and Father has it, and my siblings have it, and half of the Tooks have it!"

"Yes, and I don't like it when it turns real red in the summer," young Pervinca spoke up, squirming. "I look like…like…a carrot!"

"You don't look like a carrot," Estella said sensibly. Even at her young age, her mid-teens, she was sensible and prudent. "You're a lass just like everyone else."

Diamond giggled and swung her little legs against the stool she was sitting on. Her nut-brown, sometimes sandy hair fell around her young face and simply would not be contained in the little bun that she had requested Estella style on her. Perhaps if she would have stopped squirming…

"When do we leave?" Diamond asked impatiently. "I want to dance, and get presents, and eat!"

"We'll leave as soon as everyone's ready," Angel said, switching places with Pearl. "A lady always takes pride in her appearance, and it requires a lot of time and effort to look beautiful. Don't you want to look beautiful, Diamond?"

"Are you a lady, Angel?" Diamond asked, not answering the question. "What's a lady?"

Pearl, Pimpernel, and Pervinca exchanged glances and snickered. Though they were friends with Angel, and liked to talk with her, she didn't seem—well—_hobbity _enough. It was hard to understand her grand talk, and while Diamond and Estella seemed to think it normal, the three sisters had other ideas. She was always talking of being a lady—and if that was the case, "being a lady" evidently required being vain, adventuresome, and literate. Although it also required being friendly, talkative, and capable of a task at hand—something all hobbit women wished to achieve—Angel was usually giggled at by the younger and older generations. Sadly, it is probably because none of her hobbit relatives quite understood her. But she was still admired, had many friends, and was, indeed, a cheerful hobbit of the Shire, which made her fit in quite well, unlike her uncle Bilbo.

"A lady is a lass who is well-bred and achieves many honors," Angel said, quoting a book she had picked up a Bilbo's. "Honorable and pure."

Estella intervened. "Shouldn't we be going down?" she asked. "They're probably waiting for us." The lasses agreed, and Estella and Pervinca were soon running with Diamond down the hall. Angel, Pimpernel, and Pearl followed behind, excitedly discussing the party, and what would happen there.

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This didn't turn out like I thought it would, and I didn't write it as well as I wanted to. But I wanted it to be a quick chapter (like all of my chapters have been), and the next chapter will be a longer one.


	5. On the Way to Hobbiton

A/N: Decided to write another chapter. This is the chapter where they are traveling to Hobbiton for Bilbo's birthday party, and also the chapter when Bilbo has a discussion with the Gamgees and the Cottons. And judging from how many hits this story is getting…I need more reviews!!!:) And also….HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

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As the lasses hurried down the stairs, they saw that everybody else was already standing and waiting for them. Old Rory, Eglantine, Paladin, Esmeralda, and Saradoc were firmly herding Merry and Pippin toward the door. Fatty was standing patiently with his parents, and Ponto was still talking to Brandogrim and Madata. Mr. and Mrs. Bolger were talking to Frodo.

Pearl, Pimpernel, and Pervinca hurried after their parents, who were heading towards the carriage house and stable. Angel, Estella, and Diamond hurried over to the group waiting for them. "Merry and Pippin just couldn't stand still," Brandogrim said, smiling. "And don't you young lasses look charming? Come here, Diamond my lass." Diamond shrieked with laughter as Brandogrim swept him up in his arms. "Do be careful, dear," Madata said, worried. "She's already ripped half her dresses from all the roughhousing lately."

"Ripped dresses! What is this I hear?" Brandogrim asked, perching his daughter on his shoulder. "How have you ripped half of your dresses?"

"Playing with the lads," Diamond said, faking sadness and shaking her head.

"Fancying them, more likely," Madata said, sighing. "Our little, spoiled daughter is already quite taken with lads in every Farthing of the Shire. As she is with every type of nice, wee dress and hair ribbon imaginable."

"Doesn't that sound like someone I know," Ponto said, winking at his daughter. "Though I suppose I'll leave lads out of the bunch. You always considered all your lad friends below you, didn't you Angel?"

"Not _below _me exactly," Angel said, blue eyes widening and her high, soprano voice taking a serious tone. "I just don't find any in the Shire I could fancy in that way."

"Little Merry seems quite taken with you," Rosamunda Bolger said, clasping her husband's hand. "Fatty has informed us of how much he gushes over you." "_Mum_," Fatty said desperately. "You're not supposed to _know _about that!" Angel laughed.

"Every lad is not good enough for Angel in her eyes," Frodo finally spoke up. "Only champions of old…and did I not catch you eyeing a few tall, male elves over by the forest way?" Angel gave a small shout and batted him on the arm as everyone laughed again, even Estella, who usually rolled her eyes over such talk.

"Let's depart now," Brandogrim said, starting to leave the way out of the Hall. "We don't want to keep the Master, Thain, and families waiting. Come now, Ponto!"

Ponto and Brandogrim hurried toward the carriage house and stable, while the lasses and hobbit women joined Eglantine and Esmeralda with their children. Merry, Pippin, Fatty, and Frodo immediately started up their game of chase, now turned into tig-tag, as it was called. "Come lasses, join us!" Frodo called, grinning as he chased after the younger lads.

Diamond immediately joined in, shrieking as Frodo tagged her and ran away. Estella hesitated, and then joined after Diamond pleaded. Pearl, Pimpernel, and Pervinca looked on in surprised and apparent bewilderment. They had never been close to any lads before, and even Pearl was not yet of an age to court. "Angel!" Estella pleaded as everyone darted out of her reach. "I can't do it!"

Angel smiled. "Because you're not running, love," she laughed. "It involves moving your legs in an upward and downward motion, alternately, and propelling yourself forward, and turning in the direction you would like to run. I hope it is not _too _complicated for you to comprehend…" Angel ran shrieking as Estella turned on her and tried to tag her.

The grown lasses laughed. "It was not so long ago that all of us were running around this garden ourselves, with our future husbands darting out of our reach," Esmeralda said wistfully. "Do you remember?"

"Of course," Eglantine said, giving Esmeralda a small hug. "It is like yesterday to me."

"Except yesterday, Amadel and Primula and Drogo were still running with us," Rosamunda said sadly and mournfully. "They would always win at a game of tag. Poor Drogo! Always trying to be quite a proper gentlehobbit, and Amadel and Primula not giving a care." Madata swallowed a lump in her throat as Pippin tagged Diamond. Yes…she remembered…

The four stood silently together, staring at their children and seeing themselves. It was odd—many grown hobbits never had such sentiments. But for some reason a chill in the autumn air had brought back memories—memories that today still stung, though the accident had happened quite a few years ago now.

Breaking them out of this moment was the carriages and ponies that came prancing into the lane before Brandy Hall. First was Paladin. "Hurry, my dear," he called to Eglantine. "Gather all four of our children and get in quickly. The rest of the lads and I have a wager on who will get to Hobbiton the fastest."

"Correction," Ponto called. "_Paladin _and _Saradoc _have a wager. Odovacar and I simply want to get to Hobbiton in a seemly manner. If any of you lasses need another carriage after yours have been smashed to timbers, you can sit in mine for a while."

Eglantine herded Pearl, Pimpernel, and Pervinca into the carriage. "Pippin!" she called. "_Pippin_! Get over here right now!" Pippin giggled and ran between her outstretched hands and hopped into the carriage, where he climbed up into the driver's seat and climbed on his father's lap. "I want to drive!" he said excitedly, taking the reins that were still resting in his father's hand. "Can I drive, Father?" "I will help you," Paladin said, chuckling. "I don't think you are quite strong enough to handle these ponies yet, Pippin." Eglantine stepped into the carriage. "Merry might can ride with us on the way back, Pippin…" was the last the rest heard as Paladin guided the horses forward. Saradoc pulled his carriage up next, with his father sitting beside him. Esmeralda managed to snatch Merry and climb into the carriage. "See you in Hobbiton!" she called as they trotted away. Brandogrim pulled up next, and Madata called, "Diamond!" Diamond pouted as her mother called her over. "Now?" she asked in her little voice, eyes shining. "Yes dear," Madata said, picking her up. "You'll get to play with your friends when we get to Hobbiton." Odovacar, Rosamunda, Fatty, and Estella left next, and finally it was only Frodo and Angel preparing to get into the small carriage Ponto owned.

"After you, my lady?" Frodo said jovially, bowing at the door of the carriage. Angel smiled in pleasure, again thankful for her distant cousin that had been raised alongside her all her life. She took his outstretched hand and he helped her up into the carriage. "I didn't know you were so intent on acting like a gentlehobbit," she grinned at him. "You certainly weren't being one when you stole the mushrooms early this morning. Who held off the dogs for you this time?"

"Shhh!" Frodo shushed her. "Merry and Pippin went with me." "And held off the dogs," Angel said knowingly. "I am surprised you aren't scared of all those animals, after your apparent fright at those 'beasts'."

"They were foaming at the mouth," Frodo said sullenly. "I'm _sure _they could have killed me this time. And anyway…I seem to remember you running and screaming your head off when _you _saw them the one time you went with me to steal the mushrooms. And you've never been back since."

Angel managed not to laugh as Frodo resolutely said this.

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Bag End had been cleaned inside and out by the Gamgees and the Cottons. It was a fact of Bag End that Bilbo was the one of the most unorganized hobbits of the Shire—even more so than the usual messy hobbit. Early that morning, Bell Gamgee and Lily Cotton had come busting into Bag End, while the Gaffer and Farmer Cotton had started straightening up around the front and back gardens and small courtyard outside Bag End. Rosie Cotton, the only daughter of Lily, had come running in with Daisy, May, and Marigold Gamgee. They were soon employed also in the cleaning of Bag End, while Hamson, Halfred, and Samwise Gamgee helped their father along with Rosie's brothers Tolman, Wilcome, Bowman, and Carl (always called Tom, Jolly, Nick, and Nibs).

Bilbo had mostly tried to stay out of the way of the hobbit-women's doings. It had been very kind of them to offer to clean Bag End, and he didn't want to be bothersome to them. The Cottons and the Gamgees were two of the most decent, kindest hobbits in the Shire, and Bilbo was greatly that they lived so close.

Finally, though, the cleaning was finished, and now they were all dining on a superb lunch that the lasses and hobbit-women had cooked with some left over food Bilbo had ordered from all around Hobbiton. There was hot and cold chicken, along with preserved pickles from Lily's garden, and cheese that Bilbo had just ordered that morning on some bread that had just been baked. There was also plenty of raspberry jam, which the children gobbled down in abundance. There was also some nice eggs, some fried, some scrambled, some hard-boiled, and some soft-boiled. And last was a delicious sponge cake that even the grown-up hobbits squabbled over, it tasted so good. There was ale for the grown lads, milk for the children, and tea for the grown lasses. It was actually quite a modest meal for hobbits, but a very filling one.

The children had scampered off to play with some of the trinkets that Bilbo had presented them with, early birthday presents. The adults were filling out the corners of the meal when Bilbo sighed with satisfaction and said, "Bell and Lily, you have completely outdone yourselves again. Never am I so reminded of my being a bachelor as when I taste the food you cook. And I thank you all for working around my house for me. I really don't know what I would do without neighbors like you."

"You know we're always at yer service, Mr. Bilbo," Farmer Cotton said earnestly. "With all you do for me and the Gaffer's families, it's the least we can do, helpin' you out on your birthday."

"Cotton's absolutely right," the Gaffer said, taking another sip of ale. "My wife simply couldn't wait to come and cook dinner for you. She thinks you're beginning to look a bit thin. If she had her way, I bet she and Lily would be down here every day cooking meals for you." Lily and Bell blushed. "Just wantin' to help, Mr. Bilbo," Bell said courteously. "Sam imposes on you enough, runnin' over here every day." "And so does Rosie," Lilly added. "I says to her, 'Don't you think Mr. Bilbo might need a break every once't in awhile?' And she says, 'But he likes us comin' over, Mum, he said so.'"

"And she is quite right," Bilbo said, smiling. "I enjoy the children running over."

"And that is why you wanted us all to talk over what we mentioned last night?" the Gaffer asked gently, prodding Bilbo to the conversation that Bilbo said they needed to have.

"I suppose," Bilbo said. "Now, as you all know, I am a bachelor, and of course that means I have no legal heir. Which means that, when I'm gone, Eru bless my soul, that Bag End will go to the…Sackville-Bagginses." Bilbo could barely bring himself to say the name. Though Bilbo was often annoyed at his relatives, the only ones he quarreled with were the dreaded Otho, Lobelia, and their son Lotho. They were disliked all around the Shire, but that didn't stop them from inheriting the house when Bilbo was gone. Bilbo sometimes thought he would face Smaug the dragon all over again to prevent this from happening, and his neighbors most certainly would do anything to prevent the Sackville-Bagginses from becoming their new neighbors.

"So," Bilbo plowed on, "I was thinking that I should adopt an heir. I've been thinking about this for quite a long time now, and almost at once I knew who I should adopt. And that would be Frodo Baggins."

"Lor' bless your soul, Mr. Bilbo, you could never do a kinder deed!" Bell exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "The poor lad adores you, and Sam and him get along quite well together. Tragic that, what happened to his parents. Now, I think you should go on right away and adopt him as soon as you can. He would love to come back to Hobbiton, I'm sure!"

"Yes, that's what I thought," Bilbo said, smiling at all the hobbits who looked ecstatic at the news. "But also—I didn't want to raise Frodo all alone in this big hole. Especially in some months, he would be alone much of the time. Also, this house hasn't had a lass in it for quite some time, and she is half an orphan…"

"Are you talkin' about Miss Angelica, Mr. Bilbo, sir?" Lily asked, eyes wide. "Would her father consent?"

"That was my trouble," Bilbo said slowly. "I have been pondering this for days. Ponto would never allow Angel to simply come over here and live, when she isn't even the proper heir. But Ponto does not have much money, even though he is well to do, to supply Angel with all her needs and wants down the road. Frodo will get the house, and the furniture, and the maps, books, and treasures. But I would probably leave much of my money, and the jewelry I have found on my adventures, to Angel. And Angel needs a better place to live than in Brandy Hall, or, pardon me for saying so, she'll turn out like her mother."

The other hobbits nodded in agreement. "Mr.Bilbo—not trying to raise embarrassment—but _some people_—you knowin' who I mean—would be raisin' rumors about two lads and a lass under one roof, givin' the circumstances of them who would start it," Farmer Cotton said respectfully.

"Another one of my concerns," Bilbo said, sighing. "But I was thinking—if I had Lily and Bell check it during the day, do you think maybe Rosie could become a sort of play companion for Angel, during the day? And when she starts to get older, she will always need another hand around the house. I know that Rosie's the only lass you have, Lily, so I thought I should check with you first."

Lily nodded her head forcefully. "I'm sure Rosie would love to 'wait on' Miss Angel," Lily said amusedly. "Rosie!" Rosie broke away from the group of children and shyly walked over to the table. "If Miss Angel came and lived in Bag End for awhile, like she used to live in Hobbiton, would' ya like to come and play with her during the day?" Rosie's face lit up. "Sure I would, Mum!" she said, eyes dancing and golden curls bouncing. "Is she comin' to live here?"

"She might be," Bilbo said, smiling. "Would you like that?" "Yes, sir," Rosie said, cheeks flushing with excitement. "Rosie," Bilbo said. "This is a secret. You won't tell anyone else, will you?" Rosie did not exactly have the tightest lips of any lass in the Shire, "putting it mildly", as the Gaffer would say. But this time, Rosie nodded her head emphatically. "Yes, sir, of course, Mr. Bilbo," she said hurriedly. "I won't tell anyone if it means Angel's here!" She scampered back to her playmates, where they questioned her about the conversation, but said nothing.

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After Pippin had pinched Pearl for the fifth time, tugged Pimpernel's curls for the sixth time, and poked Pervinca too many times to count, Eglantine had finally had to threaten him with no lunch. Pippin had sat like a docile, innocent little angel, and had warily been rewarded for it. To rid himself of boredom, Old Rory had taught his grandson the song, "100 Bottles of Ale on the Wall." Thinking it would only entertain Merry for a short time, he hadn't reckoned at the clever Merry starting at "1,000 Bottles of Ale on the Wall" and singing at the top of his lungs through the whole thing. If that was not enough, Old Rory and Saradoc had taught him a few more little harmless drinking songs. Merry, deciding they were not original enough, had improvised and made them extremely long and boisterous. Esmeralda was not a very happy mother by the time the pony-trap made its way to the borders of Hobbiton. To guarantee silence, she had told Merry he would be separated from the rest of the hobbit-children if he did not stop singing. Merry had sullenly stopped, and Saradoc and Old Rory had felt a bit sorry for the lad. Fatty and Estella had occupied themselves by holding a contest to see who could count the most animals along the way. Diamond had fallen asleep on her mother's lap. Angel spent most of the time trying to guess what kind of birthday presents Frodo had gotten for each person. When they had tired of that, they had competed for mushrooms with small gold penny-pieces. Frodo, sadly to say, was winning until Angel put a rather large amount of penny-pieces on the table, he got reckless, and guessed too much. Angel laughed, delighted. She loved mushrooms.

Every single child, and every single adult, however, stopped talking and simply looked around as the carriages, buggies, and pony-traps went down the lane into the main part of Hobbiton. Angel and Frodo, especially, held their breath as they looked around the village they almost considered their true home. Little did they know, as they rolled up to Bag End, that soon, it would be.

A/N: Sorry if any of you think the "Ale on the Wall" is too un-Tolkienesque. I couldn't resist; I could always imagine Merry and Pippin singing that song.


	6. The Party

**A/N: Yea! More reviews! And mostly from Pippin Baggins:) **

**PippinBaggins: You are my second reviewer ever. The genealogical stuff took me FOREVER to figure out since I started writing a super-long chapter about how who was related to whom. Then I went back, read it, and thought, "If _I_ can barely get it straight in my head now reading it, no one else is!" I think I've memorized all the family trees in the back of _The Return of the King _by now. So I went back and rewrote everything and thankfully it's not as confusing as the original was. I'm really glad that you noticed I gave Fatty Bolger a lot of writing time (is that what I should call it?) in this story, I've realized too that not many people include him in their fanfics. Glad that you like Angel, she's the character I've actually really had to work on since the only teeny-tiny part she had in the books was that Bilbo gave her a mirror and that she was vain (whenever I mention this people are like "What? What are you talking about?"). I'm trying to develop Rosie, Estella, and Diamond more since I've worked on Angel so long and I "know" her so well. Ale on the Wall is an adaptation of "100 Bottles of Beer (or juice/milk/water/soda pop/any other liquid you like to drink) On the Wall", which goes like, "100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall, 100 Bottles of Beer! You take one down, pass it around, 99 bottles of beer on the wall!" And so it goes on and on and on and on. I'm really glad you like my story, I've actually worked on it for awhile but just never posted it on anything.**

**Padme4000: Thanks for reviewing again, and here's the chapter you can't wait for:)**

Many of the guests had already arrived at Bag End, primarily the guests that lived in Hobbiton. Though this party was not as big as the previous years before, it was still a good-sized number, and since it was eccentric Bilbo's party, everyone attended. Most people were out in the back garden in the small "courtyard", as Bilbo called it. A few lingered around in Bag End, but most of the doors to the rooms were locked, so not much entertainment was provided inside. Most of the adults and children were playing different sorts of games outside and waiting for dinner and presents to be served.

Bilbo had hurried back down the steps to the gate, wondering what was possibly taking Ponto so long to arrive—not to mention all those other relatives that resided in or near Brandy Hall. He couldn't start dinner without them. As he opened the gate, he noticed Rosie and Sam sitting together against the fence in companionable silence. Folco Boffin, another friend, was busy watching ants wander into their anthill. They looked up as Bilbo closed the gate. "Waiting for Frodo and Angel?" he asked them. They nodded. Folco looked up and nodded too, right after he had pushed a small crumb of bread towards a particularly large ant. Bilbo paused for a minute, then said, "Do you think you three could run up into the kitchen and give the order to your mothers to start serving some little snacks? I think everyone's hungry." Folco, Sam, and Rosie scampered off, happy to oblige. They hadn't eaten in half an hour, quite a long time for little hobbit-children.

As if on cue, five carriages came up the lane, one after the other. The first to pull right up to the gate was Saradoc. "Good afternoon, Master Saradoc, Old Rory," Bilbo said, extending his hand to Esmeralda. Esmeralda gingerly took it and stepped out of the carriage. She turned around to help Merry down, but he simply jumped down himself, landing hard on his feet. "Good afternoon to you too, Bilbo," Saradoc said, nodding. Old Rory nodded also. "There's a carriage house and stable right down the lane," Bilbo said. "Do you remember where it is?" "I can probably find it," Saradoc said, clucking to the ponies. Merry turned around and waited expectantly for the next carriage, the Thain's. Pippin jumped out and landed on Merry, where they began scuffling in the dirt. Bilbo closed his eyes and forced himself to remain calm. He would rather have these lads around than some of the others he was forced to visit frequently, but they managed to cause a catastrophe every year at his party, which wouldn't have bothered him as much if he had not always gotten blamed for it. "Merry, Pippin," Bilbo said, grinning. They immediately stopped their scuffling and looked up slowly, eyes wide. At that very second, Estella and Fatty Bolger appeared out of their pony-trap. "Fatty Bolger, lovely to see you, lovely," Bilbo said, grinning down at the land. He had welcomed Fatty this way for as long as he could remember. Fatty grinned at him and looked down at Merry and Pippin with curiosity. Estella gave a sniff. "What are you doing down in the dirt?" she asked them.

"Playing," Merry said defensively, jumping up and dusting off his small overalls. Pippin did the same. "Yes, playing," Pippin echoed. Estella cocked her head and said smugly, "I could think of a better kind of play than that." Bilbo stifled a laugh. At least the lass was loud-mouthed, if not adventurous or interesting. Merry narrowed his eyes. "I bet you couldn't." "Alright, you go on betting, then," Estella said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Betting?" Angel asked, appearing next to everybody with Frodo and Diamond next to her. "On what? What is there to bet on?"

Merry looked about to spit out quite a retort to Estella, and to keep the peace for the mothers looking on, Frodo said quickly, "Betting on who's going to make it up to Bag End first!" Every single teen and tween took off through the gate, up the steps, and into Bag End, leaving Bilbo and the mothers walking and laughing up the steps behind them.

Supper started right when the last guests arrived. Since different tables were set up for the different families, all the friends were split up. As Angel, Frodo, Bilbo, and Ponto walked towards the Baggins table, they ran right into Rosie and Sam. "Miss Angel!" Rosie cried, grabbing Angel's hands and jumping up and down. "I think I'm almost a foot taller than you!" "I think you are too!" Angel cried in astonishment, looking up at Rosie. Rosie had always been taller than Angel, but this _was _astonishing. "I do hope you don't grow any taller—then you'd be taller than all the lads!" Rosie laughed along with Angel good-naturedly. Frodo and Sam grinned at each other. "Happy Birthday, Mr. Frodo," Sam said, smiling. "You're twenty-one now?" "Yes," Frodo said, grinning. "Two years into my tweens." Sam grinned. "Just a couple more years for me until I'm a tween."

Rosie turned to Frodo and smiled brightly. "Happy Birthday, Mr. Frodo!" Rosie said. Frodo laughed, took her hand, and kissed it jovially. "You two need to stop with the Mr. Frodo business," he said. "It makes me feel quite odd."

Supper lasted almost two hours, and finally the dancing and music began. This was almost everybody's favorite part, besides supper. Estella clapped along to the beat of the music. Estella was not very much into dancing herself, she rather liked to watch. Merry came and stood next to her, apparently forgetting their little spat in the front garden. He clapped along, his eyes fixed on everyone. Angel, Frodo, Rosie, Folco, and Fatty were all dancing. Sam was once again sitting on a bench, timidly watching. Estella looked around for Diamond, and Merry for Pippin. Usually the two were right by Estella and Merry's side.

As Frodo took a break, he ran up to Estella and Merry. "Are you looking for someone?" he asked. "Come to think of it, where's Pippin and Diamond?"

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Pippin and Diamond, it turned out, had grown bored with the dancing. Pippin had wandered up to Diamond and tugged at her sleeve. "Let's go look at the musicians," Pippin said. Diamond's face lit up and the two had hurried to the very front of the large box where the music came from. They plopped down on the ground together and looked up at the tweens and adults happily playing away on the hobbit instruments. Many held ale and were joking with each other as they played. "That looks fun," Pippin said. "I want to play," Diamond said. "Me too," Pippin said simply. "Which one do you want to play?" Diamond pointed at the fiddle, being played by one of her aunts. "Which one do you want to play?" Pippin pointed at the guitar/ukulele. They had sat in silence, clapping their hands to keep time and listening in wonderment to the music. As a familiar song began to be played, Pippin began to sing the song in a wobbly, high voice. Diamond giggled and tried to join in, but small as she was, her singing ability did not quite measure up to Pippin's. Around that time, Estella, Merry, and Frodo appeared behind them. Merry sat down and began to sing along with them. Frodo motioned over Madata, Brandogrim, Eglantine, and Paladin. "Well, it appears Pippin and Diamond have quite a musical ability!" Madata laughed, but looked at her daughter in interest. "Which instrument would you like to play, Diamond?" "The fiddle," Diamond said. "Brandogrim, we must have someone teach her as soon as we arrive back home," Madata said, turning to her husband. Not to be outdone, Eglantine asked, "And you, Pippin dearest?" Pippin pointed at the guitar and Eglantine raised her eyebrow at her husband. Paladin said quickly, "Then of course you will learn it, Pippin." Pippin's face practically glowed. "What about you, Merry?" Paladin asked. Merry laughed. "I like to sing!" he shouted, hopping away and singing, "You can search far and wide…" Frodo laughed. "I forgot to bring my hand drums," Frodo said to himself. "You play?" Estella asked, surprised. Frodo smiled down at her. "I just started learning, yes." Estella nodded, her eyes drifting to Diamond and Pippin. Angel and Rosie came over. "Frodo, have you seen my father?" Angel asked. "I haven't seen him or Uncle Bilbo for awhile." Frodo looked around for a second, and looked at her, puzzled. "Come to think of it, neither have I."

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Ponto had been laughing with a group of lads when Bilbo had tapped him on the shoulder, nodded courteously to the rest of the group, and pulled him aside, hissing, "I must talk to you." Ponto lowered his face as people glanced over curiously. Bilbo had been watched with curious eyes most of the party, and Ponto did not appreciate Bilbo making the stares suddenly rest on him. Bilbo led him inside Bag End, past the kitchen, and took a golden key out of his pocket. Bilbo unlocked the key to his study and pulled Ponto inside, locking the door after them. "Finally! Some peace!" Bilbo sighed, sitting down in a chair. "Sit down, Ponto." Ponto warily sat down and mumbled, "Do you know how odd that whole episode looked?" Bilbo ignored this and said, "I needed to talk to you."

"As you said just a few moments ago," Ponto said patiently, gripping the edge of the table. A strange apprehension was on him whenever he had a talk with Bilbo. Usually the talk left him in a dazed, puzzled state for weeks.

"I wanted to tell you," Bilbo said. "That I am going to ask Frodo if I he would want me to adopt him. I need an heir, as everybody knows—and I don't plan on marrying anyone anytime soon. I don't think any lass would even let me get past the first words of proposal. And Frodo needs a parent, or parents."

Ponto, after the first stage of shock, managed to say, "And you think that everyone will think it natural for you to do this?"

"That was one thing I wanted to ask you," Bilbo said. "Do you believe anyone in Brandy Hall would try to oppose me? Because they have absolutely no right to do so."

"No," Ponto said, sighing. "They don't. You have every right, though I tremble for all the gossip this is going to cause. _You're _going to cause, as usual."

Bilbo ignored this again. "Come back to Hobbiton, Ponto." Ponto started. "Pardon me?" he sputtered, even more shocked with Bilbo. "Come back to Hobbiton," Bilbo repeated. "I know that you have stayed at Brandy Hall to mourn for your wife, and to look after Frodo. But Frodo is not your son, and you have a daughter to worry about. I worry about her everyday in Brandy Hall. If she stays there much longer, she'll end up like her mother." Ponto's brow creased. "And what do you mean to say by that?" he asked fimly, staring straight into Bilbo's eyes. "Ponto, forgive me," Bilbo sighed. "But I suppose I must go straight to the point also. I would like to bring Angel to live at Bag End, also. I want to you move back to Hobbiton. There's an empty hole on Bagshot Lane, right near the one you used to live in. You'd be right near Bagshot Row, right near Bag End."

Ponto simply stared. "You're saying that you want to adopt Frodo and simply bring Angel to live with you?" "Not exactly," Bilbo said. "Frodo would be my heir. He would inherit the house, the books, the maps, the furniture, the treasure, and some of the money."

"Did you say _some _of the money?" Ponto jumped on Bilbo's words. Bilbo smiled. "Yes, I did," Bilbo said. "Angel would get most of the money—and the jewelry I've acquired on my adventures. And also—if anything happened to Frodo, Lord forbid—she would be an extra key to stop the Sackville-Bagginses. They _must not _get their hands on this house, Ponto."

Ponto sat there awhile, looking at his hands. "I cannot do anything to stop you from adopting Frodo," Ponto said finally. "And he will most certainly want to come live with you. But Angel—she's my only child, Ponto. My only memory of my wife. She has Amadel's eyes, her skin, her face, her very movements. How could I simply give her up to you? What purpose is it to bring her here, if only to use as something against the Sackville-Bagginses?"

Bilbo looked on the lad in pity. "I will be forever sorry for your loss, Ponto, even if your wife was foolhardy. But listen to me—Angel has a spectacular mind, Ponto. A great spirit that will be wasted if she continues to live with the Bucklanders. I want to help her, Ponto. I want to form her into everything she could be. She has her faults, it's true, and I want to help her. You've said before you aren't strict enough with her, and with her vanity it could lead to trouble." Ponto still sat silent. "Ponto, you have plenty of money now—but what about later? What about when Angel starts to really grow into a grown lass? What then? What about if she marries? Your money will soon be too little, even if you are well to do, which of course you are, being a Baggins." Ponto sat still, as if hanging on to every word and weighing it in his mind. "Bilbo," Ponto said finally. "I am nearly convinced by what you have said. But—me moving back—you will be sure I can see her whenever I want?"

"Whenever you want!" Bilbo said. "And you wouldn't mind," Ponto said slowly, "if she came to my house, instead of me coming to yours?" Bilbo snorted. "It doesn't matter to me, Ponto," Bilbo said. "As long as you are satisfied…and Ponto, I have another question." Ponto looked at him expectantly. "As of right now, what does Angel feel about…lads?"

Ponto stared at Bilbo as if he had truly gone mad. "She…enjoys being friends with them…and I think she would love to court when she is older…but I think she believes all the lads here to be…well…" "Not good enough?" Bilbo finished. Ponto nodded. "Well, that is another part of my plan," Bilbo said. "How does Frodo feel about lasses?" Ponto began to answer the question in bewilderment, then said, "Bilbo! Surely you jest! Are you actually planning on pairing Frodo and Angel together?"

"Well, not exactly," Bilbo said sourly. "You're ruining it. If things in the Shire worked out my way, Frodo would remain a bachelor and simply adopt an heir of his own. But see, certain character traits show up in certain families. I've been looking at all the Baggins lasses, and I don't find any suitable for Frodo, nor any of the Bucklanders or Tooks. And I want the lad—or lass—to be a Baggins. Frodo and Angel's blood mixed together, they would have quite a wonderful heir…"

"Enough!" Ponto gasped. "Bilbo, I thought you learned long ago not to discuss such things that even suggested the…process…" He stopped as he saw the twinkle in Bilbo's eye, taunting him. "Bilbo! Fine, fine! I see your point. But there will be no arranging marriages, see? If Frodo and Angel are not attracted to each other, then…"

"They are free to marry who they like," Bilbo finished, taking a sip of wine. "Or remain a spinster and bachelor, or one will marry and the other won't. Anything else?"

"Well…wouldn't there be nasty rumors…started by certain people…if Angel lived with two lads?" Ponto asked, face turning beet red. "I cannot believe I am discussing these subjects. It is quite inappropriate."

"I've already talked that over with Lily Cotton and Bell Gamgee," Bilbo said calmly, ignoring Ponto's last comment once again. Ponto was finding out that he did not like his comments ignored. "Rosie will be here much of the time, and Lily and Bell will frequently be by, since the Gaffer is teaching Sam how to work in my flower garden."

"And Lily and Bell will be free to talk with her any time she…well…sees fit?" Ponto asked, hoping that Bilbo did not give any extra comments on this question. The feelings of lasses were quite hidden to him.

"You mean on questions all lasses need answering to by grown up lasses? Of course," Bilbo said. Ponto reddened a bit, but decided Bilbo could have said something worse. "Now, do we have an agreement?"

"Yes, yes. I will ask Angel if she would like to live here, and you can talk to Frodo," Ponto said in exasperation, glad that the talk was ending.

"Jolly good!" Bilbo said, downing the last of his wine. "Otho, tonight your hopes will be crushed." Ponto rolled his eyes and sighed.

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Angel and Frodo soon gave up on finding Bilbo and Ponto, and stole away with their group of friends to the front garden on the steps. Pippin and Diamond were still talking about the guitar and fiddle, while Fatty and Merry and Estella sat beside them adding to the conversation. Sam and Rosie sat down with Angel and Frodo and Folco. "So, Rosie, what has been going on in Hobbiton since we were last here?" Angel asked.

Rosie and Sam launched into a full narrative of all the latest happenings, with Folco making additional comments. Soon the rest of the children were drawn into the conversation, and Rosie was right in the middle of explaining that _yes_, her sister _did _say that she saw who stole the gold from the Sheriff when Frodo saw a very familiar—but unwelcome—carriage pulling up at the front steps.

"Sam!" Frodo cried in sheer terror. "Did Bilbo invite the Sackville-Bagginses, or is this some kind of cruel joke?"

"I should say he _did not_ invite them, sir!" Sam cried, jumping up. "If that Lotho comes near you or Rosie or Angel—"

"What has Rosie to do with it?" Diamond was asking when Otho, Lobelia, and Lotho stepped out of the pony-trap and started walking toward the gate. As fate would have it, at that very moment Bilbo and Ponto came out the front door and started walking toward them.

"Merry and Pippin, if you have any tricks up your sleeve, I suggest you use them now," Frodo whispered through gritted teeth.

"Only if you give us our birthday presents first, before anyone else," Merry demanded. "Fine, fine!" Frodo said in despair. "Just do something."

"Alright! Diamond, we'll need your help," Pippin said, turning to Diamond. Merry, Pippin, and Diamond scurried away as the dreaded family came in through the gate. "Bilbo!" Lobelia called, and she and her husband hurried up the walk toward where Ponto and Bilbo had stopped in dismay. It was too late, however, Bilbo could not escape, and Ponto couldn't leave him to face Lobelia alone.

Meanwhile, Lotho had stopped in front of Frodo and Angel and the rest of the group. Lotho was one of the most feared tweens in the Shire. In fact, he was the only truly _feared _tween in the Shire. Rosie and Estella stood close to Angel's side, and Folco, Fatty, and Sam stayed close to Frodo.

"If it isn't Frodo and Angel Baggins," Lotho drawled, giving an icy glare at Frodo and looking Angel over with a new kind of gaze that Angel did not like at all. "I suppose we might as well call you Frodo and Angel Brandybuck now, you've been at Brandy Hall so long."

"I don't recall Bilbo inviting you, Lotho," Frodo said stiffly. He had not forgotten the beating that Lotho had given him years before.

"Seeing as how my father's the future heir to Bag End, I shouldn't need an invitation," Lotho said. "Just think of it, Frodo—in not too many years, _I'll _be the future owner of Bag End." Sam trembled at Frodo's side—if he had the courage, he would have beaten Lotho until he took all the nasty comments back.

"I don't see why you wanted to come to the party, seeing as how you despise Bilbo so much," Angel said testily, tossing her hair back.

"My parents needed to talk to him, wretch," Lotho said, tossing out the insult like it was her name, "and you might want to be careful—you don't want to end up like your mother, do you? _Or _your aunt Primula?"

"I would much rather end up like my mother," Angel replied back coolly, "then end up like yours. At least people mourned at my mother's burial—for some reason, I can't see anyone mourning at _your _mother's."

Lotho's face turned beet red, and he raised his hand as if to slap her—but three small, chubby hand's grabbed his arm, along with a small, thin one. He looked into the eyes of Folco Boffin and Fatty Bolger, along with Samwise Gamgee and Frodo. "I wouldn't do that," Fatty said in a small, trembling voice. "Yes," Folco added, "you would be making a big mistake."

Lotho laughed incredulously and looked straight into Frodo's eyes. "Still having your friends fighting your battles for you?" He didn't have the chance to say anything more before Frodo's friends drew back suddenly and Frodo landed his fist right between Lotho's eyes, then on the side of his face. The blows were clumsy, but effective. Stars spun in front of Lotho's eyes and his head roared. He staggered back and Frodo took him by the collar of his shirt. "Touch any of them," Frodo hissed, "and I'll hurt you. And stay away from her. And if you _dare _to insinuate anything more about my parents, my family—you'll pay for it." Lotho glared at him. "We're tweens now, Frodo," Lotho said softly. "I think the stakes could be a little higher than that. You do anything against _my _family—you try to do anything to me—and I'll kill you when we're older."

Frodo let go of Lotho and stepped back. He barely registered the comment before Angel pushed him aside and was standing in front of Lotho. "You called me a wretch," she said, voice trembling. She slapped him, hard, on the side of his face that Frodo had not punched. "Now both sides will match," she said, referring to the bruises developing on his face. She turned around and walked back, Frodo trailing behind her, to their friends.

There was an awkward silence. Nothing like _that _had ever happened to them before in their lives. Finally, Fatty broke the silence. "Well…_that _was odd!" A smile tugged at his mouth, and he and Folco began to laugh. Folco pretended to hit Fatty, and Fatty staggered back like Lotho had done—except he exaggerated a bit. He soon had the whole group in hysterics, even Estella.

Meanwhile, Merry, Pippin, and Diamond hadn't forgotten their job. They had crept underneath the pony-trap Lotho was sitting in sullenly. Merry and Pippin carefully whispered to Diamond what to do, and she had crawled under and loosened the rope tying the ponies to the cart. Next, they had dug around in Bilbo's front garden until they had found Sam's small bucket of worms. Diamond wrinkled her nose as she dropped the worms into Merry and Pippin's pockets.

They ran up, practically unnoticed, to where Lobelia and Otho were arguing with Bilbo. "It is an _insult_," Lobelia said dramatically, "to not even _visit _your future heirs…" Bilbo could only stare in silence as Merry and Pippin carefully lowered worms and a prized garden snake into Otho's trouser pockets. Diamond had mustered up the courage to take a garden frog (and some worms…and spiders…) and lower them into Lobelia's apron pockets. To finish off the job, Merry and Pippin had acquired some "spark rocks" from their uncles and put them in Otho and Lobelia pockets also. They then ran back to the group watching them in awe.

"Merry and Pippin, you have outdone yourselves," Fatty said in genuine astonishment. "And you too, Diamond," Folco added. Estella sighed. "Couldn't there have been something a little more—well—

"Sensible?" Merry mocked before tugging one of Estella's braids. "We forgot that Prudence is one of your biggest virtues. Cautious, cautious…that's all you are." Estella smoothed her braids and turned on him, taking out a handkerchief and wiping Diamond's hands off.

Everyone quieted as they saw Otho and Lobelia turn and start to walk away, still fuming. Suddenly, a popping noise began and sparks started to fly. They both gave shrieks and ran to their carriage, frantically shaking out their pockets. This introduced them to the presence of the many creatures inside, which did not improve their spirits. Finally, as Otho slapped the ponies with the reins, everyone watched in breathless anticipation as it moved for a few yards, then suddenly the ponies ran off, leaving the pony-trap behind. The whole group of children fled towards where Bilbo and Ponto were standing.

"Diamond. Pippin. Merry." The three, along with Estella, Frodo, and Angel, stopped in front of the adults.

"Next time, I suggest you pick a few smaller creatures," Bilbo said sternly. "Such as fire ants." Ponto put his hand to his forehead and sighed. The trio grinned and ran into Bag End, leaving Angel and Frodo beside the two adults.

"Ah, Angel and Frodo. Just the two tweens we needed to talk to before we were so rudely interrupted," Bilbo smiled. "Frodo, come with me. Angel, your father will speak with you." Frodo and Angel looked at each other questioningly before Frodo walked with Bilbo around the side of Bag End. Ponto sat down on the step, and motioned Angel to do the same.

"You look so much like your mother," Ponto said tenderly, putting his hand on her hair. "You remind me of her every single day. Angel, I'm going to offer you a choice—a choice that will affect you and me." Angel looked at him, puzzled. Her dad was never one to talk like this. It sounded like he had been at the Gaffer's home brew. She was tempted to ask him if he had been when he continued, "Bilbo—he wants to adopt Frodo as his heir—and he wants to be named your guardian and provider. You would live at Bag End. Rosie would be here most of the time. You would inherit the money—the jewelry." Angel's eyes widened in wonderment. "There's a house—empty—on Bagshot Lane. I'm going to buy it, if you want to live at Bag End."

Angel gave a small gasp and hugged him. "I want to live here, Father," Angel said, tears stinging her eyes. "It's as if all my hopes have been answered by—by the Valar." Ponto raised his eyebrows and said, "Well, I suppose you must go tell Bilbo then." Angel gave Ponto one last hug and peck on the cheek before running around the side of the house where Bilbo had disappeared to with Frodo.

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"First of all, Frodo, I would like to wish you a happy birthday," Bilbo said. "You celebrated at Brandy Hall?"

"Two days ago—just a small celebration," Frodo answered, wondering what Bilbo was going to talk to him about.

"Strange that you and I have the same birthday," Bilbo said to thoughtfully. "It does create problems, you know—my celebration interrupting yours. I think it would be deemed wise if you come and live here with me, my lad. Then we can celebrate our birthday-parties comfortably together." Frodo gave a small start and looked over at Bilbo. "You're…you're not joking?"

Bilbo gave a hearty laugh and clapped Frodo on the back. "Joking I am most certainly not, my lad! You're going to stay the night at my house, and tomorrow we will get the papers all made out good and proper. Oh, and yes, another small piece of news—I think Angel will agree to name me her provider, so she'll be living here also." A dazed look was still on Frodo's face, but a huge smile had also bloomed. Before Frodo had a chance to say anything, Angel rounded the corner and said excitedly, "Frodo! You're agreeing, aren't you?" Frodo nodded, still dazed. Angel smiled and said, "And I, Uncle Bilbo, will most certainly agree." Bilbo rubbed his hands together and said cheerily, "Right then! Well, we'd better get back to the party—I think some hobbits will be looking for presents. Oh, and Angel," Bilbo said sternly. "Not a word until we have the papers made out. Ponto and you will stay the night here, and we'll get to the Sheriff's office first thing in the morning."

"Yes, Uncle Bilbo," Angel sighed. "I'll be quiet about the whole thing until the papers are made out."

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After Bilbo and Frodo had passed out the presents, there was more music, dancing, and food. Finally, the party came to an end, and soon Bag End—and all the land around it—was empty.

After showing Frodo and Angel to their rooms, Bilbo and Ponto had a quick smoke and drink before Ponto retired also. Bilbo, however, sat for a long while, simply staring into space and blowing smoke rings. His hand drifted to his pocket and he pulled out a shiny, gold band. His finger absently stroked the rim of it, and it wasn't until he looked down that he realized he had pulled it out at all.

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A/N: This chapter is screaming at me, "Rewrite! Rewrite!" It probably didn't turn out like I thought it would since I wrote half of it at 1:00 A.M., and I'm also working on a big school project right now and my mind is kind of divided between Middle-earth and the French Revolution when I write. I might redo some things later, but for now it basically tells everything anyone would need to know, so it's cool. Sorry, my brain is kind of fried from all the Marie Antoinette and Napoleon Bonaparte stuff. If you think there's anything I should change about this chapter, just include it in your review or send it to me or anything like that.


	7. Leaving Buckland

HI!!! I'm back! This chapter is probably my least favorite chapter of any chapter I am going to write. You have no idea how boring it was to write this, and I hope it's not as boring to read, but if you want to skip it, it's mostly about Frodo and Angel being adopted and leaving Brandy Hall. But now to reply to my three amazing reviewers:)

**Padme3000: Thank you for the review, and I always thought the movies never did enough with the Sackville-Bagginses. They'll be back:)**

**Frodo's girl: Thank you for all the really lovely compliments…not too used to that:) You're an awesome writer too:) I thought I wrote it down on one of my reviews to the Miss Krista story, but the thing that attracted me to that story was that I was working on a story about the filming of the movie if there were four hobbit girls. When I read yours I was like, "Wow! That's kind of creepy!" And then I wrote this one because I'm so thrilled with yours right now I don't even want to try to write about the filming. Yours kind of inspired me to post this one here because it involved adding a hobbit. And about adding six chapters in six days…pretty amazing to me, too. I was really on a role. Then I got to this chapter, which took forever to write for some reason and I'm all tied up in exams and projects right now. But I gave myself a break tonight and decided to finish this one up and post it. And to answer your questions: Merry, Pippin, and Diamond unhitched the rope that attached the horse to the cart (I don't really known what it's called…the hitch or something?) And then they filled the Sackville-Bagginses pockets with creepy-crawlies and spark rocks (I couldn't really think of anything better…that's the part I wrote at 1 A.M.) And as for adopting Angel, I will use this quote (from the movies): "I don't know why I adopted you after your parents died, Frodo, but it wasn't out of charity. I think it was because, out of all my relatives, you were the only one that showed spark." It goes something like that. Frodo and Angel are kind of…different…and I guess it ties in with the kind of fate/God thing throughout the whole trilogy, like Frodo was meant to bear the Ring and everything. Not a great answer, I know, but I guess that's the best way I can describe. Thank you for the helpful tips:) **

**PippinBaggins: Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

As the hours of night passed on one by one and started to give in to the hours of morning and day, the four hobbits in Bag End tossed, turned, thought, and whispered away any action or thought of sleep. Bilbo lay on his bed, stroking the Ring so much that he wondered that it did not simply disappear into his hand. The thought of how life would change once Frodo and Angel came to live with him prodded at him, and most of all, he wondered how he could completely tell them about the Ring and the whole of the journey he had attained it in. What about the riddles in the dark? Did he even dare to tell them about the story that only Gandalf himself knew? Finally, Bilbo dressed in the early hours in the morning and read chapter after chapter in a book he had recently acquired on one of his journeys.

Ponto fitfully tried to sleep, but the imaginary whispers, taunts, and pure gossip of all his friends and family beat against his mind like they all knew what had been talked about in the study that night, and what was going to happen in the morning. Ponto uneasily tried to push these thoughts from his mind—bother old Bilbo, he really was mad! Pushing my own sanity is too much, Ponto thought grimly as he pulled the covers about him. He began to have second thoughts, but he had given his word—no gentlehobbit would ever go against his word in the Shire—except, of course, maybe Otho, and even Otho would not dare to go against something written in ink. Finally, Ponto fell into a fitful sleep, where he dreamed of his soon to be home in Bagshot Lane and many other disquieting dreams that he really did not care to remember, some of which involving the Sackville-Bagginses.

Frodo made himself comfortable in the covers and stared out the round window in his room, right where the moon and stars were peering in at him. Frodo remembered something about one of the Valar—Queen of the Stars, or something along those lines. Excitement and adrenaline hit his body again—he was going to have an actual home! Not that his time in Buckland had been particularly unpleasant—but to be an actual _Baggins _again—it was an incredible feeling. Then another thought came to him—_Lotho!_ Lotho would never, ever be the heir of Bag End now—he had helped to foil his one enemy in the Shire! Frodo nearly laughed out loud at the thought of Lotho being a true "enemy". Frodo had now brushed away the various threats of Lotho and now chuckled inside at the very absurdity of them all. Lotho—involved with murder! However, something continued to nag at Frodo—oh yes, the various talk about his Aunt Amadel and his parents. His cheeks burned in anger—he had never known about the rumors until he began to notice people shaking their heads in sympathy when they saw him and Angel. He knew perfectly well who had started those frightful rumors. Frodo gazed at the moon some more. Something would always bother him about Lotho. It seemed, in a way, that Lotho hated—well, the _Shire_. And though the Shire seemed almost too much like home to Frodo, it was _home._ It would always be home, a place to come back to, forever. Lotho seemed to think that the Shire needed to be _changed _somehow. Of course, Lotho had always liked to control things. But he wasn't even a true Baggins—he was largely half a Bracegirdle, so Frodo quickly dismissed him from his mind and moved on to another thought. The adventures! Now that Bilbo was his guardian, Frodo was sure adventures waited not too far around the corner. Frodo had always dreamed of going far off to defeat some goblins in the Misty Mountains and then come back to praise. And then off again! The daydream dissolved suddenly, and two faces, now blurred with time, seemed to look into his. His parents. Frodo suddenly felt a wave of sadness come over him. The trouble was, the memories of his parents were starting to fade in places, and get stronger in others. Mostly, the memories that strengthened were not the ones he cared about. Angel remembered more about her mother and his parents than he did, and whenever she told him another memory, he could remember a little more. The strange ache of sadness had quickly dissolved over the years, and a new feeling had surfaced—a feeling of sadness mixed with wanting. He wished that he could have had a few more years with them. At least Angel had her father. His thoughts started to drift, and finally, as the sun began to rise, he fell asleep.

Angel, after a fitful sleep and dreams probably caused by her rushes of excitement, finally sat herself down at a small little table with a large hand mirror resting on its stand. She stared at herself—observed herself—and thought to herself. First of all, she thought that she really was doing well on how fair her face was and how—well—beautiful she looked. Angel absently played with a lock of her hair as she thought about how her mother had always seemed to egg on her vanity. Her father's face would crease with worry whenever Angel declared herself the finest lass in a company of hobbits, but Amadel would simply laugh with glee and assure Angel she was quite right. Ponto had always worried it would spoil her character, and to an extent it had—but she had not completely grown to be snobby or selfish, as much as wishful and almost too satisfied. Angel had learned long ago that no one liked to be told how beautiful she was, so she rarely commented on it. Bilbo, however, had always teased her and nagged her about it. "Silly little goose," he would say as she stared at herself, "preening your feathers again? Someone needs to come along and pluck you." She would stare at him in dismay and the "silly little goose" was actually quite afraid of being "plucked". She had often seen Bilbo eyeing her fingers playing with her hair, and was quite afraid to see him with scissors in his hand someday. It had cured her of staring at herself too much, though. However, Angel's mind instinctively flew to the money—_she _would be inheriting most of the money she was told. She wondered why. Of course she would give as much of it to Frodo as he wanted—in fact, if necessary, she was sure it would say in the will that he could borrow as much as he liked. However, Angel doubted that Frodo would need much more after he had been swamped by the house, books, maps, furniture, treasure (which would sell for a good amount of money), and any other possession in the house he needed. In fact, Angel thought to herself, she was probably worse off in the end. But no matter—she was going to be a Baggins of Bag End… "Mum," she whispered. "I hope you're quite proud of me." She attempted to say no more. She thought about death often lately…the elder hobbits never talked of it, or told you what happened after you die. You were simply gone, and that was the end of you, it seemed. But she knew there were Halls for Men, and the Grey Havens for the Elves…maybe there was a Great Smial for the hobbits. It was a comfort if the Valar had indeed made a nice little place for hobbits to eat and feed and dance upon green shores forever. Angel quickly dropped the thought from her mind and now thought about the day approaching. On and on she waited, simply watching the minute hand tick and tock on the clock on the wall. She soon fell asleep, almost hypnotized by the repetitive pattern. Tick…tock…tick…tock…

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Bilbo sat in the parlor reading until Ponto entered, looking quite sleepy and…rumpled, Bilbo decided. Ponto collapsed in the chair across from Bilbo and stared into thin air. "Thinking of something?" Bilbo asked unconcernedly, turning a page.

"I'm thinking," Ponto said. "Of how long nights can be."

"Really?" Bilbo asked again, turning another page. "You've never stayed awake all night before? I do it quite often, when I am in a disquieting frame of mind."

Ponto stared, abashed, at the hobbit across from him. "Bilbo," Ponto said, finally finding his voice, "you are _always _in a disquieting frame of mind…at least to the various peers around you."

"There minds are not disquiet enough," Bilbo said briskly, closing the book and stretching. "They are so quiet that sometimes I think that they are dead." Ponto glared at Bilbo's glance and asked gruffly, "Well, are we going to eat breakfast then?"

"Of course," Bilbo said, heading towards the kitchen with Ponto following him. "As soon as the Gaffer and Farmer Cotton, along with their wonderful wives, arrive with Sam and Rosie, we will begin the preparations for breakfast right away."

"Do they always cook for you?" Ponto asked.

"I wish they would," Bilbo said, busily starting to pull out a teapot. "For now, though, we will just have a nice cup of tea. The Mayor's office doesn't open until eleven, right around elevensis, so we'll go first chance we get. I must go around and get more witnesses for the will, though. I'll probably ask some choice inhabitants of Brandy Hall, seeing as how I'm taking Frodo away from them."

Ponto listlessly received his cup of tea and drank in silence. Bilbo sat across from him and proceeded to empty his cup quite quickly and then refill it again, reading another book the whole time. Ponto scooted a map on the seat next to him away. Unlike most maps in the Shire, it did not have big, white spaces where the Shire's borders ended. Instead, it went on. Quite a disquieting thought for Ponto.

A knock upon the door signaled the arrival of the Gamgees and Cottons. Bilbo let them in and Bell and Lily immediately sized up poor Ponto and promised him a meal to that would help him regain his spirits. Farmer Cotton and the Gaffer pulled some conversation out of him, but it was obvious that Ponto's mind was elsewhere.

Bilbo turned to see Rosie and Sam standing near their mothers, looking questioningly around. "Sam, Rosie, why don't you wake up Frodo and Angelica? I'm sure they'll be glad to see you." Sam and Rosie immediately obliged and practically disappeared from the kitchen."

"I could barely get Rosie t' sleep last night," Lily said. "She was so excited, askin' me all sorts of questions about what it would be like workin' here."

"Same with Sam," the Gaffer said from the table. "He kept on askin' me how much we would we workin' here and how much he'd be seein' Frodo and such like. His head's almost in the clouds today, it seems."

"Well," Bilbo said, smiling, "I'm certainly glad that they support my decision. I have feeling that they'll become even better friends with Frodo and Angel—I certainly hope so, for though Frodo's a bright lad, he barely knows his way around a flower garden, and though Angel's very resourceful, I've had to down quite a number of burnt meals since she attempted to start cooking."

"Well, I'm sure we'll be able to change all of that," Bell said with, the corners of her mouth twitching into a smile.

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Frodo was woken up by a gentle shaking of his shoulders, and it only took a moment for him to remember what the morning meant. He opened his eyes and jumped out of the bed, realizing that he had nearly knocked down poor Sam. "Sam!" he yelped, nearly falling over a nearby chair. "What…why…"

"Bilbo said somethin' about needing my parents as witnesses or such like," Sam said, grabbing Frodo so he could regain his balace. "So I'm here."

"And I'm glad you are," Frodo said, his breathing slowing as he twisted a rag in the cool water in his wash basin. "Is breakfast ready yet?"

"Mum and Mrs. Cotton are makin' it," Sam said as Frodo practically buried his face in the wash basin, trying to rid his eyes of the sleepy sensation that kept on coming over them. "I guess you're hungry then?"

"Am I ever," Frodo said, quickly changing shirt and breeches before he and Sam headed out towards the kitchen.

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"Miss Angel…Miss Angel…Angel."

Angelica heard a faraway voice coming toward her ears as if it were coming through a long tunnel. "Mmpphh…" she struggled to speak but her voice was muffled. "Mmpphh?"

"My, Miss Angel, you've buried yourself!" the voice seemed nearer as Angel was slowly uncovered from the many quilts, blankets, and quilts were pulled away from her, alerting her skin to the cool, autumn morning air. "How odd!" Angel looked into Rosie's puzzled face.

"I suppose I got too cozy," Angel admitted. "I do remember burrowing down in those covers."

"Well, it was a cold night," Rosie said. "Colder than usual, I guess." Angel washed her face and quickly put on her dress before Rosie begged to brush through Angel's hair. Angel agreed, delighted, and Rosie soon had the tangled curls looking perfect once again. Though small, her hands were already skilled at household and domestic activities.

The group of hobbits had a nice, long breakfast that still left Bilbo enough time to tell the Brandybucks, Tooks, Bolgers, and North-Tooks what he and Ponto had agreed to and that he needed witnesses, and if it weren't too much trouble, would they like to participate? Shocked, they agreed. Somehow the Boffins found out about it, and they insisted on coming along. Bilbo knew that this was probably because they would be the ones spreading most of the gossip, but he reluctantly agreed. It was no use trying to keep them away.

As soon as the Mayor's office was opened for the day, the rather large group met in the front room. The only children there were Angel, Rosie, Sam, and Frodo, so it was rather quiet, as everyone seemed to mumble and glance and stare and whisper. Finally, they were let into a bigger room, where they were faced with the rather arduous process of making out papers and making out a will. Thankfully, after Frodo and Angel had signed with a rather large quill pen that spattered ink all over their hands, and Sam and Rosie had done likewise (since even small hobbit-children need witnesses), they were allowed to go back to the front room and enjoy themselves.

"When will you actually move into Bag End?" Rosie asked them both excitedly.

"Uncle Bilbo said probably at the very beginning of next month," Angel said. "I don't know how I'll be able to wait!"

"Of course, it will be a little hard leaving our younger cousins," Frodo said thoughtfully. "Don't you think?"

"We'll still see them of course," Angel said, raising an eyebrow. "We just won't live with them."

"It will seem so quiet," Frodo said, grinning.

"And—do you think we could come into Bag End whenever we like, like we usually have?" Sam asked.

"Of course, Sam," Frodo said. "I don't know what it would be like if you didn't."

They continued to talk, and then they got rather bored and began a game they had also learned from Bilbo. It was when one person started a story, and at a most exciting part, would then let the next person continue it. They did this for so long their story probably would have taken up fifty chapters by the time all the hobbits came out to the front room. By then everyone was about to faint with hunger, so they quickly bid farewell and, snatching enough time for a long lunch, began the journey back to their Smials.

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The first week of that next month was a somber one for some. As Ponto, Angelica, and Frodo dragged their remaining belongings to the pony-trap (most of their belongings had already been taken to Bag End and #2 Bagshot Lane), the Brandybucks and Bolgers stood very somber in the front yard.

"Well, Ponto," Old Rory said as Ponto put the final bag in the buggy, "I hope you fare well from this little move to Hobbiton. Do you think you will find it promising?"

"Yes, now that I am actually going," Ponto said, "it will be good to be among closer family now. I will miss all of you, however," he said, referring to Saradoc, Esmeralda, Rosamunda, Odovacar, and the children. "Never have I had greater hospitality these past years at Brandy Hall. I promise every one of you that we will visit often." He shook hands with Saradoc and Odovacar, and gave a respectful kiss on Esmeralda and Rosamunda's cheeks. "Now, now," he said, noticing Fatty, Estella, and Merry's forlorn looks. "What's all this?"

"I—I'll miss you, Uncle Ponto," Fatty hiccupped. Merry sniffed and routed at the dust with his foot, causing little dirt clouds to come up out of the ground. Estella looked troubled. "Now, now," Ponto said. "We'll see each other often."

"Good-bye, Frodo," Saradoc said, putting his hand on the lad's shoulder. "You ever need anything—anything at all—you just let me or Odovacar here know."

"And of course we'll always welcome you back," Esmeralda added, pulling the lad to her and hugging him tightly. A bit too tightly. "Oh, how you've grown."

Frodo felt his air supply beginning to wane and managed to say, "Thank you so very, very much, Aunt Esmeralda and Mrs. Bolger," before they'd moved on to saying good-bye to Angel.

"You just keep on growing up looking like your mother," Rosamunda told her, "and you'll do just fine, love."

Frodo and Angel turned to Fatty, Merry, and Estella. Simultaneously, Fatty and Merry fell to the ground and hooked their arms around Frodo's legs. "Please don't go!" they begged at the same time. "I hear Bag End is worse than the old forest now!" Fatty added desperately.

"Oh, for the love of heaven—" Frodo simply looked down at the two little lads and Angel was sure she saw a tear or two in his eye. A few seconds more and he bent down and gently unwrapped them and stood them up. "Someday, I might buy a little house down here and I'll _make sure _it's near where you two live," Frodo promised. "If I ever need to get away from Hobbiton—I'll pick a house that's near you." Merry and Fatty brightened.

Estella rolled her eyes at turned to Angel. "Well—I'll miss you," Estella said.

"Oh? Is that all I get?" Angel asked tearfully, grinning.

"No," Estella let out a sob and threw her arms around Angel. "I'll miss you _a lot_. Merry always calls me sensible and Miss No Fun, but it doesn't mean I don't _care _about any of you." Angel hugged her back. "I know you care about every single one of us," Angel said. "Even Merry," she added. Estella tried to throw Merry a darkened glance, but failed as she dissolved into tears again.

Finally Estella had managed to quench her tears when Merry and Fatty now stood in front of Angel. "We'll miss you too, Angel," Fatty said. Merry simply stood and stared at her for a second, and before Angel could suspect anything, Merry had delivered a rather clumsy kiss on her cheek. Face burning red, he looked at her.

"Why—ah—thank you, Merry," she said, giving his forehead a small kiss. "I didn't know you could be so affectionate to your second cousin. Maybe you'll turn out alright after all." Fatty narrowed his eyes at Merry as Frodo, Angel, and Ponto climbed into the buggy. "You would not have done it if I hadn't _dared _you," he hissed. Merry made a face. "No, I don't think I would have," Merry said. "You liked it," Fatty whispered. "I did not!" Merry shot back.

The small group on the front lawn waved as the buggy pulled out of the small road that led to Brandy Hall and slipped away behind the trees. Frodo and Angel waved until they could not see their friends and family again, and soon it was just themselves and the road…winding on and on back to their new home.

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They arrived in Hobbiton later that evening, and were greeted with a rather large supper with the Gamgees and Cottons. After they had departed, Bilbo showed Angel and Frodo to their rooms.

"Good night, Angel," Bilbo said, leaning down to hug her. Angel hugged him. "Good night," Angel said. "Good night, Dad," she said, kissing Ponto on the cheek and hugging him tightly. "And good night, Frodo," she said, grinning at him. He nudged her shoulder and she rolled her eyes at him. "Good night," he said back.

Bilbo and Ponto walked with Frodo to his room. "Well, I hope you know what you've gotten yourself into, Frodo," Ponto said. "Living with Bilbo _and _Angel—you've taken a rather large burden on yourself."

"Oh, he has no sense of proportion," Bilbo said to Frodo. "I have rather removed a very large burden from your chest. You would rather not admit it, I know, but those beastly Bucklanders and Tooks were rather grating on your nerves."

Ponto said good-bye to Bilbo, and started on his own to his new, small hole. Bilbo watched him go, and could not help pity to stab his heart once again. "I _have_ got to stop feeling sorry for my confounded relatives," he mumbled, closing the door.

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	8. The Bagginses of Bag End

A/N: Squuuueeee!!! I'm back!!! With another chapter!!!!! This chapter isn't exactly, amazingly interesting, but you have to read it to know what happens between the last chapter and the next chapter. And I thought I would maybe explain one thing before I start (it's about the story):

**My new beta (Frodo's girl) pointed out that if Bilbo always gave Angel really pretty gifts and stuff, why does he care so much about her being vain? Well, we all know that Bilbo isn't the most sensitive, soft-hearted hobbit around (though we know that deep down inside he's got a kind soul:), and in the _Fellowship of the Ring_ (in the book) a lot of the gifts he gave to his relatives were teasing them out certain aspects of their life or their personalities. So he's kind of teasing Angel about her being vain. Hard to explain, but it's in the story so I had to say something about it.**

**I've got to hurry, but welcome to the Reviewing Board, The North Wyn!!**

Within the next week, all four Farthings of the Shire knew that Bilbo Baggins had adopted Frodo Baggins, and that Ponto Baggins had made Bilbo the new guardian of Angelica. Most of the Shire knew by the next day—including the Sackville-Bagginses.

When Otho and Lobelia arrived in front of Bag End, they were quickly turned away by the Gaffer and Farmer Cotton. Bilbo had obviously expected their arrival, along with not so pleasant questions about Otho losing his claim to Bag End. The Gaffer told them to go to the Mayor's office if they had any doubts about the legality of the adoption and guardianship, and that would be **_quite_** all, thank you. They also heard that Bilbo had called off visiting terms with them all together, and whenever Frodo and Angel caught of sight of Lotho, they quickly disappeared with the talent that all hobbits are gifted with.

Life at Bag End soon fell into routine. Early in the morning, the Gaffer and Sam would come to work in the garden. Usually they would be accompanied by Rosie, who entered Bag End with the key that Bilbo had specially presented her with. Angel would be awakened by Rosie every morning and soon Rosie would help Angel fix the lads breakfast (at first, Frodo and Bilbo were awakened by the smell of smoke and something burning, and the Gaffer had to check to make sure Bag End hadn't caught fire). Soon, however, Angel could manage on her own, though cooking was never one of her strong points and Rosie was always eager to help. Usually after breakfast Angel would go to visit Ponto, and most of the time she would be followed by at least one of her friends. Sometimes she would slip away to her father's home after dinner also, to spend some precious moments alone with him.

Bilbo told all four of the hobbit tweens stories of his adventures and old tales. Frodo and Angel were free to every book in the study, and greedily read every one they could get their hands on. Bilbo also helped them to learn how to analyze maps and drawings, and even told them about battle tactics. Their world seemed to be opened, and all now were sure that there was something beyond Bag End.

Frodo was quick to learn, however, that Bilbo had long ago decided not to take them on any present adventures. Sometimes he would be gone for weeks, but Angel and Frodo were always left behind and well cared for by the Cottons and Gamgees, and Ponto would also frequently come. However, Bilbo always brought back something from his adventures and related it to them in great detail. Bilbo also taught Frodo and Angel elvish—and Sam and Rosie quickly suspected that Angel and Frodo were privileged with meeting dwarves and elves, though they themselves were never included in any of these rumored visits.

One day, Bilbo offered to teach them how to read and write. Sam and Rosie ecstatically started to plow through the process with the help of the Bagginses, and found that with great practice they were quite good at it, though still slow and methodical. They could never master the precise calligraphy that Frodo and Angel learned, either. Rosie would comment ruefully, "Must be a Baggins touch." Bilbo taught them all, secretly, how to parry and thrust with a sword. He was sure that none of Hobbiton would appreciate four rambunctious tweens swinging around foreign swords he had acquired on his journeys.

Of course, there was still plenty of time for play also. Frodo and Angel always rushed down to the nearby pond to swim, Rosie and Sam following. Rosie learned to swim well enough that she could swim past the point where she could stand, while Sam could only swim in the very shallows. She would frequently stay in the shallows with him, because of her kind soul, as she thought that he wouldn't like to be left out. Sometimes Frodo made them uneasy. He would swim out nearest the deep end and could go under for quite a long time. It was Angel, however, that downright scared them. She would swim to the darkest part of the pond—farther than Frodo—and would go down to the very bottom, where she could barely see her hand outstretched in front of her face. She could stay under for as long as two minutes, as they learned when Frodo timed her. Then she would gradually come to the surface, causing relief to flow through all three of the others. It was odd, Sam thought, that Frodo and Angel's relatives were the ones that drowned, and they swam out farthest. Sam and Rosie had no relatives that could swim, and they mostly chose to stay in the very shallows.

Folco Boffin would sometimes join them as they ran through the woods and turned over various rocks, looking for small creatures. The five of them would lie on the ground and giggle and talk, as tweens are aught to do.

They saw Merry, Pippin, Diamond, Estella, and Fatty as often as they could, and each year marvelous birthday parties were held for the three Baggins. Bilbo's and Frodo's were held in September, and Angel's in June. All the hobbits would ogle at how well-dressed and well-kept they were—they were rumored to be the richest tweens in the Shire. Frequently, the wizard Gandalf would visit. He visited at least twice each year, and he quickly struck up a kind of friendship with Angel and Frodo.

It was not all the tweens' doings and small little adventures that were the most interesting. The most interesting was the Ring. Bilbo told them the tale of how he had gotten it—the real tale, not the made-up tale he had told the dwarves. And he often let them see notes about his various adventures—Frodo more often than Angel. Sometimes Angel would get a queer feeling whenever she looked at the Ring—not that Bilbo let them see it that often, just enough that it made them a bit curious. She knew it made you invisible, and she often wished she could try it on and see how it looked on her finger. It was the most golden, shiniest Ring she had ever seen. Bilbo never let her, of course. He showered her with every dress, ribbon, and piece of jewelry (except the Ring) he could find, always testing her vanity.

It was through all this that the young hobbits of the Shire grew up. Frodo soon turned to a rather thoughtful, kind lad. Though he was like every other lad—ale loving, lass loving, and fun loving, he retained a certain charm and sincerity—a gentleness—that set him apart from the others. Bilbo had quickly squelched Frodo's trouble seeking and overtly restless side, saying, "Utterly disliking our relatives is left to me, and trouble seeking is left to Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took."

Angel grew more beautiful, it seemed, every day—starting to show a more Baggins look to her than Brandybuck, though she always reminded people, to a certain extent, of her mother. Other young lasses and lads marveled at how much she and Frodo showed the same features. Angel retained all her vanity, though she quickly learned how to hide it from Bilbo. All of his gifts were used to tease her about her vanity, and Angel knew Bilbo was simply itching to have an excuse to maybe cut off a few curls of her hair or doing something just as bad. Diamond often joked and said that Angel collected mirrors—so she could have a new one to show her face every day. Angel laughed along with her. Even though Angel might have cherished her looks a bit too muc, she grew to be an intellectual, honest, giving lass that made everyone like her more than they admired Frodo, and definitely more than Bilbo.

Sam grew to be, by the time our story takes off, a quiet, nature loving lad. He soon took over for his Dad as gardener of Bag End, seeing as how the Gaffer was getting rather stiff in the joints. He and Frodo became great friends. Every day, he seemed to glance at Rosie more, and start to blush when she would speak to him. Though they were still friends, he seemed to turn from her playful, smiling glance that sometimes would make butterflies erupt in Sam's stomach and a sweat break upon his forehead. He had once reluctantly admitted this to Frodo, and asked Frodo if he had ever felt that feeling? Frodo had been quiet for a moment, and then said, "Every time I see a beautiful, well dressed lass I feel like that—but I'm quite used to Rosie. Is it really her looks that draw you in?" Sam had laughed with him, then abruptly asked, "What about Angel? She's just as beautiful as Rosie, I think. Don't you ever get butterflies in your stomach and sweat on your forehead when you're around her?" Frodo answered with, "Only when I see her coming at me with that sword Bilbo insists she use against me. She cut my hand—accidentally, of course—last time we played Tig, and I've been scared of her with that absurd sword ever since." Sam laughed more at this, and then they had gone on to read another story of the days of the Elves. Sam loved stories of Elves and Dragons.

Rosie, it was true, was just as beautiful as Angel. She was taller—as tall as Sam—and had a great wealth of springy, golden curls on her head that was so envied by Angel. Rosie, though shy around strangers and did not talk as much as laugh and smile, could still be quite talkative around her friends. Angel affectionately teased her about Sam, and as it turned out Rosie had quite a fancy for Sam also. Though Rosie was more obvious in showing her fancy towards Sam, she was so nice, Diamond said, that she made all lad think she fancied them—which was quite a few. And most of them had a liking towards her to a rather high degree. "You need to learn how to tell the lads you're not interested in them," Diamond complained, but Rosie only smiled and shook her head, saying it would be "too rude to snub them". Rosie, in her mid-tweens, acquired a job at _The Green Dragon_. She was there from the dinner hour till late at night, so usually all her friends would gather there so they could all be together.

Meriadoc Brandybuck grew to be even more clever and mischievous as he was in his teens. He was constantly wreaking havoc in Buckland, and many of his relatives shuddered as they thought about the future Master of Brandy Hall. He could beat any lad his age in a drinking contest, and stole from Farmer Maggot's crop weekly when the crop was grown. He was handsome, and he and various lasses fancied each other very much. Of course, alongside him was Peregrin Took. Pippin was mischievous and cheeky, but he wasn't clever. He was more clumsy, dull-brained, and well…as Gandalf said darkly…a "fool of a Took." Yet Merry and Pippin were still well-liked among the younger generation simply because they were so charming it was hard to dislike them, no matter what they did to you.

Estella and Diamond stayed close to each other also, yet many hobbits were stumped at how different the two lasses could be. Estella grew to still be sensible and practical…. and still blunt and brutally honest. Estella had no fancy for any certain lad, though she said, "Of course I will get married someday…being a spinster would not be very productive for my family." She wore her short hair in two curly braids every day. She used nothing she did not need, and she rarely pined for anything she didn't have. Diamond, however, was nicknamed "The Spoiled Lass of Long Cleeve." She loved parties, food, music, clothes, jewelry, lads—anything that happened in the Shire, it seemed she wanted to be apart of it. She held, really, no other interest besides satisfying her own needs. Hobbits asked Estella and Diamond how they had been friends so long. "She brings out the rather sensible side in me," Diamond sighed. "She brings out the fun in me," Estella giggled.

Fatty lived up to his nickname, and was soon twice the size of any hobbit lad his age. He still often accompanied Merry on his various activities, but did not grow up to be a terror of the Shire. Fatty often brought Merry over, and Estella was always subjected to teasing. Though Estella and Merry were friends, Estella soon found that it was all teasing…no friendly gestures. Merry seemed to like pulling on her two braids the most—something Fatty would also do until Estella started to get riled, then Fatty coaxed Merry away to do something else. Estella soon came to regard Merry as a rather disagreeable family member—Fatty was almost better than him!

So they all soon had a name for themselves in the Shire, and a way people described them. Angelica Baggins, the Beautiful "Lady". Rosie, the pretty, shy barmaid at the Green Dragon. Frodo, the Heir of Bag End. Sam, the Gardener of Bag End. Merry and Pippin, the Terrors and Mischief Makers. Estella, the Sensible Lass. Diamond, the Spoiled Lass of Long Cleeve. Fatty, the fat one. Folco, the Little Tagalong. The group of friends assumed they would always be together in the Shire—until one announcement would proceed to change the rest of their lives.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX A/N: Hope you liked it—review soon!! 


	9. The Announcement

**Okay…here it FINALLY is. I'm SO SORRY to everybody that waited for this chapter…trust me I have been _really _busy with school, and that's the only reason I haven't worked more on this. For some reason the teachers are being really annoying this time of year. And once again…thanks to my wonderful beta, Frodo's girl, who thankfully helped me with so much stuff in this chapter…thanks!!!!**

It was a sunny day in the Shire, early August. It was a bit hotter than usual, but that did not discourage hobbits from being out in the fields or in their yards, working placidly at planting or cleaning. Hobbit children chased each over the green hills, occasionally chasing butterflies or running away in mock fear from bees and each other. Every once in awhile a cool breeze whispered against the chimneys that only put forth a little smoke as hobbit lasses prepared elevenses.

That was exactly what Rosie and Angel were doing as they talked with Sam and Frodo through the open window as Sam trimmed the verge and planted some new lilies. He had taken over for his old Gaffer, who was so stiff in the joints that most of his days were now spent at _The Ivy Bush_, talking over old times with the other elderly gents, including Farmer Cotton, who mostly left farming now to his three sons: Jolly, Nick, and Nibs. His oldest son, Tom, had married Sam's elder sister Marigold, and they now resided in a quaint hole nearer the fields. Tom had his own farming to worry about now.

Frodo sat outside near Sam. He had been reading a rather thick book on the First Age to the other three hobbits. Bilbo and Frodo had been talking into the early morning hours in the study, and Frodo had found the book pressed into the back of a rather tall bookshelf, hidden amid all the other dusty covers. He had stayed up even later plowing through the first chapter, and had woken up with the book lying open on his face. Apparently he had been a bit more tired than he thought.

Bilbo, as far as they knew, was still in his study. Frodo had a feeling he had stayed up all night again, pouring over old maps and books. He had been acting odder than usual, that was for sure. He had come out for breakfast, but had only taken a small helping of second breakfast back to his study. He hadn't been eating like a normal hobbit, though he had surely been drinking like one. It seemed he drank at least six or seven bottles of Old Brandy everyday, and he smoked his pipe so much Rosie would have to air out the study for two hours at a time, as Bilbo sat much perturbed at the kitchen table, trying to work on whatever it was he was working on. He hadn't been anywhere beyond the Shire in over a year, and it seemed to be getting to him.

"Don't worry, lads, we're nearly finished," Rosie reassured them. Frodo had coughed a rather hoarse cough from reading so much aloud in the hot sunlight without a drink, and Sam stood panting as he gently set down his gardening tools.

"I'm setting the table!" Angel called, running to the window. "You can come inside now! But first go wash up in the washroom, you're all sweaty and grimy," she said, wrinkling her nose. "And the kitchen is not much better!" Rosie grimaced as she wiped a bead of sweat away as she took the teakettle off the small fire. Sam and Frodo disappeared from underneath the window, and the lasses heard the door open and close as the lads walked down one of the many halls toward the washroom.

"I'd say," Rosie said decidedly. "That this is one of my favorite days of my whole life."

"Oh?" Angel asked, surprised. "Why is that?"

"Well, there's been nothin' going on that makes trouble—it's truly all peaceful today. An' even though it's hot, there's a bit of a breeze. And we've just been sittin' and talking, all four of us friends. It makes me feel rather happy, is all."

"I'm glad," Angel said warmly, filling each glass with tea. "Friends are some of the best things you can ever have."

"Truly, Miss Angel," Rosie said. Though Rosie and Angel were close friends, they still held with the age old "Missus-and-servant" ritual they had practiced ever since they were little girls. Angel couldn't remember a time when Rosie hadn't called her Miss Angel, and Rosie couldn't remember a time when Angel called her anything but Rosie. Frodo and Sam addressed each other by the same basis—Sam called Frodo Mr. Frodo, and Frodo called Sam—well, Sam, of course! It was a bit different with Frodo and Rosie, and Sam and Angel, though—Sam called Angel Miss _Angelica, _and Angel called Sam "Samwise"—by his full name. She said it sounded much more honorable. Frodo called Rosie "Rose"—by her full name.

Bilbo had once tried to tell Angel that she shouldn't let any hobbit, of any class, call her by _Miss _anything—she should simply be Angelica or Angel, until perhaps she came of age or was married. He also said she should call any hobbit of any class by _Master _or _Mistress_—when it came to a person's actions and words, it didn't matter how rich they were or how big a house they had. A hobbit living in halls of gold, Bilbo reminded her, could be worthy of being addressed by the title of "Gross" (a word never used to describe people, seeing as how it was considered improper), and a poor hobbit could be living in only a small hole made of dirt in the ground, and be worthy of being addressed by "My Lord" because of how good a heart he had. Angel had always been a bit wary of this, preferring to be called _Miss_. It made her feel more proper—and once she had clumsily called Farmer Cotton "Master Cotton" and he had looked floored, as if he couldn't understand what was going on. Angel had never done so again.

Frodo and Sam came back into the kitchen, looking much cleaner and fresher than they had minutes before. They plopped down at the table and hastily gulped down the iced tea Rosie and Angel set in front of them. "Do you think Uncle Bilbo will want anything?" Angel asked, directing the question towards all of them.

"The poor dear hasn't been out of his study all day," Rosie said worriedly, biting her lip. "He'll starve himself to death if we let him."

"Don't worry, Rose, the 'poor dear' intends to eat his elevenses," Bilbo said, appearing as he walked in through the doorway and sat down next to Frodo and Sam. Now, how about some tea?" Angel hastily poured some tea into the cup sitting before him, studying her reflection in the shiny surface as she did so. This caused her to barely be able to save the tea from spilling over the edge of the cup. "You vain little goose," he said disapprovingly. "How do you expect to be a lady if you're too preoccupied with staring at yourself?"

"Oh, do leave me alone," Angel said, obviously annoyed. "I could have let the tea sit too long, and then where would we all be?"

"Begging for Rose, that's where," Frodo teased her. "Rose has _never _let the tea sit for too long, have you, Rose?"

"Though I don't remember ever have, let's just all leave poor Miss Angel alone," Rosie said, giving Frodo a teasing look that Sam would have fainted at if he had been the recipient. Finally, all the food was put on the table and all five of the hobbits were eating in peace.

As they were finishing, Bilbo cleared his throat and began, "I have an announcement to make." All four of the hobbits stopped eating and drinking and looked closely at Bilbo. He seemed to be about to make a very _important _announcement. Maybe this was the reason he had been holed up in his study for so long. He looked at all of them for a few seconds before going on. "As you know, Frodo's and my own birthdays are next month. He'll be thirty-three, and I'll be eleventy-one. Two very important birthdays, of course." Sam and Rosie looked at each other excitedly, and Angel eyed Frodo envyingly. "You come of age _eight months _before me," she said darkly, playfully narrowing her eyes. "Do you _know _how long I have to wait until then?"

Bilbo ignored her. "Because of this, I have decided to plan a grand birthday party—much more grand than previous years. Practically everyone in the Shire will be invited—we'll have games, and music, and food, and fireworks! And the gifts! I plan to send for some from the mountains, and of course I shall invite Gandalf—"

But he got no further. Two cups of tea were spilled, two chairs knocked over, and the door slammed open and shut as two very excited and gossipy hobbit lasses leapt from their chairs and disappeared out the front door. Bag End and the three remaining hobbits sat in stunned silence until Bilbo finally broke the silence by sputtering, "Why, the vain, dancing little—they disappear faster than—" he looked at Sam and said, "Well, you know, Frodo."

"Yes," Frodo said, laughing and mopping up the spilled tea. "I know. So, Sam, should we overtake them?"

"I believe so, sir," Sam said, grinning. They nodded good-bye to Bilbo and left out the front door, leaving Bilbo fuming to himself.

**XoxoxoxoX**

Thanks to Angel and Rosie, along with Sam and Frodo, the news of Bilbo's party spread throughout the Shire like wildfire. Big news like this hadn't been told ever since Bilbo arrived back at Bag End nigh on sixty years ago.

The youth of the Shire constantly had their tails wagging over Bilbo, and many of the older folk of the Shire found their reminisces coveted. Every scrap of information about Bilbo and Bag End was thoroughly talked and whispered about in the matter of an hour. Of course, no two families outside the Bagginses knew more about the upcoming event than the Gamgees and Cottons. Each night the two families listened keenly as Rosie and Sam chattered on about the arrangements being made. Their siblings swore that the two talked more now than they had their whole lives.

One day, at the very beginning of September, Angel was helping Rosie clean up after breakfast. Sam was back digging in the garden again, and Frodo had disappeared into the forest with the thick book that had thoroughly engrossed him. Bilbo had retired to his study to make the ever growing arrangements needed for the party.

An impatient rap was played upon the door, and Angel quickly put a plate in a bucket of sudsy water before hurrying down the hall to answer it. She opened it to find Folco hopping around impatiently in front of the door. "Folco!" she said, grinning. "What brings you here?"

"I've got a message," Folco said, drawing himself up proudly. He had been helping his dad as a bounder, traveling all over the four Farthings of the Shire delivering written and verbal messages.

"A message? From who?" Angel said quizzically.

"From Estella and Diamond," Folco said, grinning. "The old dames at _The Ivy Bush _are all in a tizzy about something today, and they need some replacements at the inn tonight. Estella volunteered herself and Diamond, and they wanted me to ask if you'd like to help." At that moment Rosie appeared beside Angel, and Angel repeated the information.

"Do you think father or Uncle Bilbo would mind me going?" Angel asked Rosie anxiously. "I do really want to help, but you'll be at _The Green Dragon_, won't you?"

"I don't think your dad will care, Miss Angel," Rosie said, shrugging. "And as long as Mr. Bilbo has food to eat and he can sit in his study in peace, I suppose he won't mind either. If he really needs another hand, I'll see if Myrtle can take my place handing out drinks tonight."

"Will anyone else we know be at _The Ivy Bush_?" Angel curiously asked Folco.

"Don't think so—unless for some reason Sam and Frodo want to come, which I highly doubt," Folco said, winking at Rosie. "_The Green Dragon _has better ale and better company, not to mention better lasses. Has Sam escorted you home yet, Rosie? Frodo has been badgering him constantly about it, but from what I hear he just sits and stares at you."

Rosie's cheeks turned crimson and she looked embarrassed, yet Angel could see a smile tugging at her lips. "Really? Well—I'm—I'm flattered," Rosie stammered.

Folco grinned and continued, "And after Merry's fight with Estella today, I don't think they'll want to see each other for awhile now."

"_Another _one?" Angel exclaimed, and Rosie sighed unhappily. "They had a fight _yesterday_. What could it possibly be about this time?"

"Well, you do know that Merry and Pippin are being punished right now?" Folco inquired of both of them. They both nodded. "I supposed you _had _heard about the destroyed stall at the market…it was catastrophic. So, they were helping Fatty and Mr. Bolger with his crops today, and I would have helped too if I wasn't so busy being a bounder and all. I was talking for quite a while with Estella and Diamond, while they were supposed to be washing dishes I suppose, though I think they were nearly done. And Merry seemed to be taking a break with Fatty and Pippin. We talked near half and hour, and when Estella saw Merry sitting right there not really doing anything, she told him to get back to work. Merry got riled and told her he didn't see _her _working, just talking and gabbing to me like—well, I guess I won't repeat what he said, but it sure got _her _riled, and then they went through their whole routine—Merry not sparing one angry word to her and not getting anywhere and getting more and more riled, while Estella just stood there coolly and _stared _him down. Finally Mr. Bolger came along wanting to know what all the ruckus was about, but Estella just grabbed Diamond and flounced back into the house, while Merry stalked off muttering to finish the chores. And I—well, I ran as fast as I could here." He waited for their reactions.

Angel and Rosie exchanged a tired glance with each other. "Usually Estella can be so sensible," Angel sighed. "That is what gets her into her fights with Merry, anyways. Yet when I bring up her trying to work out her differences between Merry, she won't listen."

"She's _stubborn_, Miss Angel," Rosie said, absently drying her hands on her apron, even though they were dry enough already. "Sensible and stubborn—sometimes the two just ain't the right things to have in one body."

"Ah—aren't, Rosie," Angel said absentmindedly as Folco began to speak again.

"So whose side do you take? Merry or Estella's?" Folco asked.

"When have we ever _taken sides_?" Angel asked, raising an eyebrow. If Merry had fought with Lotho, of course she would have been on Merry's side. But Merry and Estella both were her friends, and she couldn't very well choose between them.

"We're all friends, Folco," Rosie said gently. "We've just got to do what we do every time they get in an argument—work it out for them."

"Well, it's rather bothersome," Folco muttered. "And it's obvious most of the time that Estella is in the right. She never starts any of the arguments—usually."

Angel and Rosie stared at him, not quite sure what to say. He simply shrugged, smiled, and hurried down the steps of Bag End and out into the lane.

"Well, that was _quite _odd," Angel said, sighing. "And you know what we must do, Rosie?"

"Yes," Rosie said, grimacing. "Fix things up between Estella and Mr. Merry."


	10. From the Author

Hey everybody! It's Angel, the author of this story:) I was just writing to say exactly why no new chapters have materialized for the past month or so.

**Like a lot of people, I have school, church, soccer, and a bunch of other things. Consequently I don't have an extreme amount of free time. I've been working on this story, but it's going pretty slow.**

**I'm DEFINITELY not abandoning this, though. Expect chapters to come soon—I just don't know when. I thought I owed everybody an explanation though—I didn't want anyone to think I had stopped writing this. This is my favorite thing that I'm working on right now, so don't worry.**

**Thanks to all the new reviewers and not so new reviewers, and once I get a break (which should be soon) I'll be really hard at work on this. See ya!**


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